1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a display device, more particularly relates to a display device having an identification mark in its pixel region.
2. Prior Art
As a first prior art, a repair processing for a TFT array of a liquid crystal display panel will be described. When at least one of transistors as an active device on a TFT array is malfunctioning in manufacturing the liquid crystal display panel, conventionally the transistor is fused by a laser beam, and a repair processing is carried out to keep the malfunctioning transistor at a short-circuited state. In this repair processing, an electrical measurement is carried out as a pre-step, and a logic address of the malfunctioning transistor iscidentified. This electrical measurement is performed in such manner that all transistors on the TFT array are driven, and if any of them is malfunctioning, the malfunctioning transistor is detected and its logic address is output.
In a repair apparatus the TFT array is fixed onto an X-Y stage. The TFT array is composed of a plurality of pixel regions, which is composed of a display area which displays and a peripheral area provided around the display area, which does not display. In a corner portion in the edge portion of the TFT array, one xe2x80x9cXxe2x80x9d is provided as a symbol indicating a reference position. Based on the reference position and the logic address of the repair position, the X-Y stage is moved so as to fit a focus of the laser beam to the malfunctioning transistor. If the X-Y stage is moved to a position where a laser beam is allowed to be oscillated, a laser output apparatus emits the laser beam to perform the repair processing.
Next, as a second prior art, a key board apparatus using a touch panel will be described. FIG. 12 is illustrated based on the disclosure of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5(1993)-83927, which shows a key board apparatus in which a transparent input touch panel is superposed on a flat display. In the flat display for displaying, a display area is divided into a plurality of segments, each of which is composed of a plurality of dots. The dot is the minimum unit for displaying. Each dot of the input touch panel is provided so as to correspond to the respective dots of the flat display panel for displaying. When either a dot or a segment on the touch panel is touched, an input is entered to either the dot or the segment.
An operation of the key board apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. 12. A user first touches an input touch panel 1201 within an area surrounded by a figure showing a star symbol, an input coordinate recognition section 1204 recognizes input coordinates entered. A conversion section 1206 converts the input coordinates to a segment. Moreover, the conversion section 1206 refers to a table 1207 for allowing an output code and the segment to correspond to each other, and outputs a code corresponding to the segment to a host computer 1209. Thus, the code corresponding to an enter key of the star symbol can be output to the host computer 1209.
Note that, as other prior arts, disclosures as to the touch panel were made in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2(1990)-302813 and 7(1995)-104936.
As described above, in the conventional repair apparatus, a malfunctioning transistor has been located by specifying the logic address by the electrical measurement. However, although the logic address of the malfunctioning transistor is known, it has been extremely difficult to finally identify which transistor actually is malfunctioning. Even if a transistor to be repaired is shown by an optical microscope before a laser beam is emitted, the transistor to be repaired can be easily decided by a video from the optical microscope only when the transistor exhibits remarkable abnormalities in its planar structure. When the transistor exhibits micro defects within it, the decision has been impossible only by the video.
In the key board apparatus using the conventional touch panel, to specify a position on a flat display, a transparent input touch panel is superposed on the flat display, and a dot of the touch panel entered manually is made to correspond to a dot of the display, whereby the position on the display is indirectly specified. Accordingly, it was not always possible to specify the position finely and accurately.
The present invention was made to solve the above described problems, and the object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method, which are capable of a processing concerning pixel regions of the display device effectively.
A liquid crystal display panel according to a first invention comprises a first glass substrate, a second glass substrate, a liquid crystal sealed between said first and second glass substrates, and a display electrode for applying an electric field to said liquid crystal, wherein a plurality of pixel regions are formed, and at least one of the pixel regions has an identification mark giving information.
In the liquid crystal display panel according to the first invention, a second invention is characterized in that each of said pixel regions is composed of an opening portion which allows light to pass therethrough and a light-shield portion other than said opening portion, and the identification mark is provided in the opening portion.
In the liquid crystal display panel according to the first invention, a third invention is characterized in that each of said pixel regions is composed of an opening portion which allows light to pass therethrough and a light-shield portion other than the opening portion, and the identification mark is formed in the light-shield portion.
In the liquid crystal display panel according to the third invention, a fourth invention is characterized in that a thin film transistor, a data line and a gate line are formed in the light-shield portion, and the identification mark is formed in one of the data line and the gate line.
In the liquid crystal display panel according to the second invention, a fifth invention is characterized in that a display electrode formed of a transparent electrode and a color filter are formed in the opening portion, and the identification mark is formed in one of the display electrode and the color filter.
A liquid crystal display panel according to a sixth invention comprises a first glass substrate, a second glass substrate, a liquid crystal sealed between said first and second glass substrates, and a display electrode for applying an electric field to said liquid crystal, wherein a plurality of pixel regions are formed, each of which has an identification mark giving specific information.
In the liquid crystal display panel according to the sixth invention, a seventh invention is characterized in that the identification mark gives information concerning a position of the pixel region in said liquid crystal display panel.
A display device according to an eighth invention, comprises: a plurality of pixel regions formed therein, wherein at least one of the pixel regions having an identification mark giving information.
In the display device according to the eighth invention, a ninth invention is characterized in that each of the pixel regions has an identification mark giving information.
In the display device according to the ninth invention, a tenth invention is characterized in that the identification mark gives information concerning a position of the pixel region in the liquid crystal display panel.
In the liquid crystal display panel according to the first, second third and sixth inventions, an eleventh invention is characterized in that the identification mark has a size in which the longest side is about 30 xcexcm or less.
In the display device according to the eighth invention, a twelfth invention is characterized in that the identification mark has a size in which the longest side is about 30 xcexcm or less.
An identification mark detection device according to a thirteenth invention detecting an identification mark provided in a display device having a plurality of pixel regions, which comprises identification mark reading-out means for reading out an identification mark formed at least one of the pixel regions; and position decision means for specifying a position of the pixel region on the display device based on the identification mark read out by the identification mark reading-out means.
A detection display system according to a fourteenth invention comprises a display device having a plurality of pixel regions formed therein; and an identification mark detection device detecting an identification mark provided in the display device, wherein the identification mark detection device comprises identification mark reading-out means for reading out an identification mark formed at least one of the pixel regions; and position decision means for specifying a position of the pixel region on the display device based on the identification mark read out by said identification mark reading-out means, and wherein the display device displays a pixel region at the position specified by the position decision means.
A TFT array repair device according to a fifteenth invention performs a repair processing for a TFT array of a liquid crystal panel in which a plurality of pixel regions are formed, which comprises identification mark reading-out means for reading out identification mark formed at least one of the pixel regions; position decision means for specifying a position of the pixel region on the display device based on the identification mark read out by the identification mark reading-out means; a stage on which said TFT array is mounted, the stage moving a position of said TFT array to move; a laser output device for performing a repair processing for a TFT formed in the pixel region by fusing the TFT; and a controller for controlling a movement of the stage and a laser output of the laser output device based on a specification result of the position specifying means.
An identification mark detection method according to a sixteenth invention, which detects an identification mark provided in a display device having a plurality of pixel regions formed therein, the method comprising: an identification mark reading-out step for reading out an identification mark formed at least one of the pixel regions; and a position specifying step for specifying a position of the pixel region based on the identification mark read out in the identification mark reading-out step.
In the identification mark detection method according to the sixteenth invention, a seventeenth invention is characterized in that the identification mark detection method further comprises: a pixel region displaying step for displaying the pixel region at the position specified in the position specifying step.